If the name Jenni Farley sounds familiar, that’s likely because she is better known as “JWoww” on the hit MTV series Jersey Shore and Jersey Shore Family Vacation. Now, Farley is trying her hand at writing and directing her first feature film, Devon. This found footage film follows a group of strangers as they come together to explore a supposedly haunted asylum where a young girl disappeared. As they venture deeper into the derelict building, these individuals discover just how deadly this place truly is.

For a first feature film, Farley did a fantastic job creating Devon. The setup is relatively simple. Many years ago, in an asylum that once specialized in treating children with mental illnesses, a young girl vanished. Now, a website created by her parents is looking for individuals to go back to the asylum, with cameras in hand, to investigate and see if any evidence can be found that the police missed. What’s more, there’s a cash reward that can be earned. Five individuals from different backgrounds are chosen, each desperate for the cash prize.

One of the things that immediately makes Devon stand out is the way the characters are written. Each person feels real and fully developed. When the characters first meet, there is an authentic awkwardness as they begin to feel each other out and determine who they are going to best connect with. It’s also fascinating to see how each person reacts differently as the situation continues to become more and more deadly. The end result is an intriguing character study set in a truly horrifying situation. Horror fans will also appreciate the twists and turns Farley throws into the plot, keeping the audience on their toes as the story goes to unexpected places. Naturally, there are plenty of scares as well. There’s a nice balance of subtle, spine-chilling scares and back-breaking jump scares to keep viewers cowering behind their hands.

While for the most part Devon works as a found footage film in a familiar setting with a few good shocks, there are some aspects of the plot that seem underdeveloped. As the film begins, it’s established the asylum housed mentally ill children and there was a great deal of mistreatment going on behind closed doors. However, after this initial setup, the treatment of children at the asylum is never really discussed in a way that makes it relevant to the plot. Exploring this further and having it more directly integrated into the strange happenings could have added both to the emotional depth of Devon, as well as to the scares. One could assume what happened within those walls is the ultimate reason for the hauntings, but it’s left uncertain, forcing the audience to come to their own conclusions. One important thing to note is that certain aspects of the story might not make sense as one is watching the film. Yet, if you stick with it to the end, most of the pieces eventually fall into place in a compelling and logical way.

Each performance in Devon brings the characters to life and makes them feel like real people. While each individual is memorable, there are two definitive standouts. The first is Tara Rule (Girl in the Palms, Cato) as Kat. While everyone, including Kat, is ultimately there for the money, Kat is also a mother. She cares more deeply than the others in the group because she can imagine what it would be like to have a child disappear, and she knows what lengths she would go to in order to find her own daughter. Rule’s performance adds more emotion to the film and makes the audience root for her character to survive. Another standout is Steven Etienne in his first starring role in a feature film as William. What makes William such a memorable character is not only that he is unapologetically there just for the money, but he also adds some nice comedic relief to the otherwise serious film. Etienne interacts really well with the other actors, and his individual scenes result in some of the most iconic moments of the film. Devon also features strong performances from Lauren Carlin, Rotisha Geter, and Hank Santos (Aberration).

Found footage films are the kind of subgenre horror fans either love or hate, and much of that is due to the visual elements. In Devon, the opening and closing of the film might throw some audiences off because it’s not filmed in the typical found footage style. However, the rest of the film is, as we follow the 5 strangers in the asylum. This particular found footage film uses a combination of handheld cameras carried by each member of the group, as swell as security cam footage within the asylum. Devon creates an immediate sense of unease by taking place in an abandoned asylum. The group explores the outside a bit, allowing the viewers to see the haunting beauty of the building in the daylight before venturing into the hidden depths. The inside is dark, dirty, and it’s easy to believe there are ghosts lurking in every corner. Audiences will want to be sure to keep a close eye on the screen from the moment the film begins. You might just spot some ghostly figures hidden in the background. The ghosts are simple, yet effectively done to create plenty of scares.

Devon is a memorable directorial debut for Farley, showing she clearly knows and loves the horror genre while bringing ghostly terror to the screen. The film could have been stronger if it had further investigated the horrors that occurred when the asylum was open, but there is enough meat to the plot and plenty of interesting characters to keep audiences captivated. A highlight is the way the characters were written, making them feel like real people, and each actor authentically brings them to life. If you enjoy found footage and are in need of a good fright, you won’t want to miss Devon, available digitally and on demand on November 12, 2024.

OVERALL RATING: 6.5/10